Register vent cover

ABSTRACT

A register cover that inhibits heated or cooled air from a forced-air HVAC system from exiting a register, regardless of the material used for the register, ductwork, or building construction. The register vent cover includes a body portion presenting a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface having at least one securing structure arranged thereon. The body portion is sized and shaped so as to correspond with and cover an air flow opening of a register, such that when the rear surface of the body portion is abutted with the register with the body portion covering the air flow opening of the register, the securing structure affixes the register vent cover to the register, and the register vent cover inhibits air from flowing through the air flow opening.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/116,549, entitled REGISTER VENT COVER, and filed Feb.15, 2015, said application being hereby incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) systems, and more particularly to HVAC registers.

BACKGROUND

Most modern HVAC systems use forced air to heat and cool residential andcommercial spaces. A blower motor forces the heated or cooled airthrough ducting in the wall, floor, or ceiling of the structure.Registers, which are sometimes referred to as “air vents,” are attachedto the ducting to enable the heated or cooled air to enter the room.Some registers have a mechanism to allow the opening or closure of adamper to either allow or block the flow of air into the room. Someregisters do not have such a damper mechanism.

Even with a damper to close the louvers and inhibit airflow, some airmay still exit through the register and enter the room due to leakagethrough the damper. This can increase heating and cooling costs, as wellas interfere with the desired room temperature.

A known solution to this problem is to attach a thin sheet of magneticmaterial, a.k.a. a magnetic vent cover, to the register. A drawback ofsuch magnetic vent covers, however, is that they do not bond stronglyenough with the register or duct material, and so may fall off.Additionally, magnetic vent covers do not bond to registers or ductworkmade of wood, plastic, painted steel, aluminum, and other non-magneticmaterials.

What is needed in the industry is a register cover that is easilyinstalled and remains in place, regardless of the material used for theregister, ductwork, or building structure.

SUMMARY

The present invention addresses the needs of the industry through aregister cover that inhibits heated or cooled air from a forced-air HVACsystem from exiting a register, regardless of the material used for theregister, ductwork, or building construction.

The register cover will easily attach to and inhibit airflow fromexiting a register that is made from any common material, including, butnot limited to, steel, wood, plastic, painted steel, aluminum, tin,copper, and bronze. The register cover can also be made to fit any sizeregister.

In one embodiment, the register cover attaches to the register with anadhesive layer on the rear surface of the register cover. Alternatively,the register cover could be attached using other methods (e.g. adhesivestrips, adhesive paste, hook & loop fasteners, magnets, suction cups,nanosuction, or other means).

The register cover can be made from a woven polyester fabric material.Alternatively, the register cover could be made from any other suitablematerial that would inhibit air from escaping from the register (e.g.wood, metal, paper products, plastic, rubber, etc.).

According to an embodiment, a register vent cover includes a bodyportion presenting a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surfacehaving at least one securing structure arranged thereon. The bodyportion is sized and shaped so as to correspond with and cover an airflow opening of a register, such that when the rear surface of the bodyportion is abutted with the register with the body portion covering theair flow opening of the register, the securing structure affixes theregister vent cover to the register, and the register vent coverinhibits air from flowing through the air flow opening. The at least onesecuring structure can include a layer of adhesive over substantiallyall of the rear surface, extending to or proximate a periphery of therear surface of the body portion. A pee-off backing layer can beprovided over the adhesive layer prior to installation.

In embodiments, the register vent cover can include at least onesecuring structure on the register disposed so as to correspond with theat least one securing structure of the register vent cover when theregister vent cover is abutted with the register. The at least onesecuring structure can include a hook-and-loop fastener, a suction cup,or a nanosuction device.

In embodiments, the register vent cover can include a plurality ofsecuring structures on the rear surface of the vent register cover. Eachof the plurality of securing structures can correspond with a securingstructure on the front surface of the register. The register vent covercan include a body portion formed from woven polyester fabric.

In further embodiments, a register and register vent cover assembly foruse with a forced air HVAC system includes a register presenting agenerally planar front surface, the front surface defining an air flowopening therethrough, and a register vent cover with a body portionpresenting a front surface and a rear surface. The rear surface has atleast one securing structure arranged thereon. The body portion is sizedand shaped so as to correspond with and cover the air flow opening ofthe register, such that when the rear surface of the body portion isabutted with the register with the body portion covering the air flowopening of the register, the securing structure affixes the registervent cover to the register, and the register vent cover inhibits airfrom flowing through the air flow opening.

In embodiments of the assembly, the at least one securing structureincludes a band of adhesive arranged adjacent a periphery of the rearsurface of the body portion. In other embodiments, the assembly includesat least one securing structure on the register disposed so as tocorrespond with the at least one securing structure of the register ventcover when the register vent cover is abutted with the register.

In embodiments of the assembly, the at least one securing structureincludes a hook-and-loop fastener, a suction cup, or a nanosuctiondevice. The assembly can include a plurality of securing structures onthe rear surface of the vent register cover, with each of the pluralityof securing structures corresponding with a securing structure on thefront surface of the register.

In further embodiments, a method of inhibiting air flow through an airflow opening of a register in an HVAC system includes, providing aregister vent cover having a body portion presenting a front surface anda rear surface, the body portion being sized and shaped so as tocorrespond with and cover the air flow opening of the register,arranging at least one securing structure on the rear surface of theregister vent cover, and abutting the rear surface of the register ventcover with the register so as to cover the air flow opening of theregister, the securing structure affixing the register vent cover to theregister.

These and further features of the present invention will be apparentwith reference to the following description and attached drawings. Inthe description and drawings, particular embodiments of the inventionhave been disclosed in detail as being indicative of some of the ways inwhich the principles of the invention may be employed, but it isunderstood that the invention is not limited correspondingly in scope.Rather, the invention includes all changes, modifications andequivalents coming within the spirit and terms of the claims appendedhereto.

Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to oneembodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one ormore other embodiments and/or in combination with or instead of thefeatures of the other embodiments.

The above summary is not intended to describe every embodiment or everyimplementation of the subject matter hereof. The figures and thedetailed description that follow more particularly exemplify variousembodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in considerationof the following detailed description of various embodiments inconnection with the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a register and register cover inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of the register cover of FIG. 2 beingapplied to a register;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the register cover of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3a is a rear isometric view of the register cover of FIG. 3,depicting an adhesive layer and peel-off protective layer;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the register cover of FIG. 1,depicting an adhesive layer;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a register and register cover inaccordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a rear isometric view of the register cover depicted in FIG.5;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a register and register cover inaccordance with an another alternative embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 8 is a rear isometric view of the register cover of FIG. 7.

While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications andalternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of examplein the drawings and will be described in detail. It should beunderstood, however, that the intention is not to limit the claimedinventions to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined bythe claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a register vent cover 10 according to anembodiment of the invention is depicted with a typical conventionalregister 12. Register 12 presents substantially planar front surface 14with louvers 16 defined therethrough so as to enable passage of airthrough air flow openings 17. Register 12 may further include a damper(not shown) that may be adjusted to control air flow through the airflow openings 17. Register 12 is depicted as a wall register, but itwill be readily appreciated by those of skill in the art, register ventcover 10 may be used in connection with all types of registers (e.g.ceiling registers, floor registers, louvered registers, patternedregisters, etc.).

Register vent cover 10 generally includes body portion 18, definingsubstantially planar rear surface 20 and opposing front surface 22.Front surface 22 may be may be planar or non-planar, and may include adecorative pattern or other decorative feature (e.g. color, pattern,texture, etc.) to make the register vent cover 10 aestheticallypleasing. Alternatively, front surface 22 may be painted, printed on, orcovered with separate material such as wallpaper. Body portion 18 can beformed from any material in a fashion substantially impervious to air,such as wood, metal, paper products, plastic, rubber, or densely wovencloth. In an exemplary embodiment, body portion 18 is formed from adensely woven, flexible, polyester fabric having a thickness of about0.006 inches. Alternatively, body portion 18 could be formed from anymaterial having suitable durability and structural characteristics, withan air-impervious layer of material, such as plastic, bonded or appliedover rear surface 20 and/or opposing front surface 22.

Body portion 18 can be formed in any size or configuration so as tocover air flow openings 17 and inhibit air flow therethrough. In theexample depicted in FIGS. 1-4, a layer of adhesive 24 is applied oversubstantially all of rear surface 20 extending out to, or proximate,periphery 26 on all sides. As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, register ventcover 10 is applied to register 12 with rear surface 20 of body portion18 abutting front surface 14, and body portion 18 covering louvers 16.Adhesive layer 24 adheres to front surface 14 to affix register ventcover 10 to register 12, thereby blocking air flow through louvers 16.As depicted in FIG. 3a , adhesive layer 24 can be applied inmanufacturing of register vent cover 10, with a peel-off backing layer25, which may be made from suitable paper or polymer as known in the artof self-adhesive technology, applied over adhesive layer 24 forprotection and to prevent register vent cover 10 from adhering toundesired items and surfaces during shipping and pre-installationhandling. When register vent cover 10 is ready for installation,peel-off backing layer 25 can be removed and discarded before applyingregister vent cover 10 to register 12 as described above.

It will be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, adhesive layer24 may be replaced or supplemented with any other suitable means forsecuring register vent cover 10 to register 12, such as adhesive strips,adhesive paste, hook & loop fasteners, magnets, suction cups, ornanosuction structures, or a combination thereof.

In an exemplary embodiment, as depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6, a band ofsecuring material 27, such as adhesive or hook and loop material, isapplied to front surface 14 of register 12 around periphery 26. Rearsurface 20 of register cover 10 has a corresponding band of securingmaterial 28, such as adhesive or hook and loop material. Register ventcover 10 is applied to register 12 with securing material band 27registered with and abutting securing material band 28, so as to affixregister vent cover 10 to register 12.

In an alternative embodiment depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8, register 12 mayhave multiple spaced-apart fastening devices 30 (e.g. adhesive strips,adhesive paste, hook & loop fasteners, magnets, suction cups,nanosuction devices, or a combination thereof) arranged on front surface14 around periphery 26. Register vent cover 10 has correspondingfastening devices 32 arranged on rear surface 20. Register vent cover 10is applied to register 12 with fastening devices 30 registered withfastening devices 32, so as to affix register vent cover 10 to register12.

It will be appreciated that when vent register cover 10 is made of athin flexible material such as a woven polyester fabric, it may also bewrapped around any edges of the register 12 and secured to the sides orrear of register 12.

While the present invention is described herein in detail in relation toone or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure isillustrative and exemplary of the present invention, and is made merelyfor the purposes of providing a full enabling disclosure of the presentinvention. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments isnot intended, nor is to be construed to limit the scope of patentprotection afforded the present invention, which scope is to be definedby the claims and equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scopeof patent protection afforded the present invention be defined byreading into any claim a limitation found herein that does notexplicitly appear in the claim itself. Thus, for example, anysequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes ormethods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect tocertain embodiments, it is understood that equivalents and modificationswill occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading andunderstanding of the specifications. The present invention includes allsuch equivalents and modifications, and is limited only by the scope thefollowing claims.

Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been describedherein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are notintended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It should beappreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments thathave been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerousadditional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions,shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have been described for usewith disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may beutilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions.

Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that thesubject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated inany individual embodiment described above. The embodiments describedherein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways inwhich the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined.Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations offeatures; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination ofdifferent individual features selected from different individualembodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art.Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can beimplemented in other embodiments even when not described in suchembodiments unless otherwise noted.

Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such thatno subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicitdisclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above isfurther limited such that no claims included in the documents areincorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference ofdocuments above is yet further limited such that any definitionsprovided in the documents are not incorporated by reference hereinunless expressly included herein.

For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended thatthe provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112(f) are not to be invoked unless thespecific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A register vent cover comprising: a body portionpresenting a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface havingat least one securing structure arranged thereon, the body portion beingsized and shaped so as to correspond with and cover an air flow openingof a register, such that when the rear surface of the body portion isabutted with the register with the body portion covering the air flowopening of the register, the securing structure affixes the registervent cover to the register, and the register vent cover inhibits airfrom flowing through the air flow opening.
 2. The register vent cover ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one securing structure comprises anadhesive layer on the rear surface of the body portion.
 3. The registercover of claim 2, further comprising a peel-off backing layer disposedover the adhesive layer.
 4. The register vent cover of claim 1, furthercomprising at least one securing structure on the register disposed soas to correspond with the at least one securing structure of theregister vent cover when the register vent cover is abutted with theregister.
 5. The register vent cover of claim 1, wherein the at leastone securing structure includes a hook-and-loop fastener.
 6. Theregister vent cover of claim 1, wherein the at least one securingstructure includes a suction cup.
 7. The register vent cover of claim 1,wherein the at least one securing structure includes a nanosuctiondevice.
 8. The register vent cover of claim 1, comprising a plurality ofsecuring structures on the rear surface of the vent register cover. 9.The register vent cover of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality ofsecuring structures corresponds with a securing structure on the frontsurface of the register.
 10. The register vent cover of claim 1, whereinthe body portion is formed from woven polyester fabric.
 11. A registerand register vent cover assembly for use with a forced air HVAC system,the assembly comprising: a register presenting a generally planar frontsurface, the front surface defining an air flow opening therethrough;and a register vent cover comprising a body portion presenting a frontsurface and a rear surface, the rear surface having at least onesecuring structure arranged thereon, the body portion being sized andshaped so as to correspond with and cover the air flow opening of theregister, such that when the rear surface of the body portion is abuttedwith the register with the body portion covering the air flow opening ofthe register, the securing structure affixes the register vent cover tothe register, and the register vent cover inhibits air from flowingthrough the air flow opening.
 12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein theat least one securing structure comprises a layer of adhesive on therear surface of the body portion.
 13. The assembly of claim 11, furthercomprising at least one securing structure on the register disposed soas to correspond with the at least one securing structure of theregister vent cover when the register vent cover is abutted with theregister.
 14. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the at least onesecuring structure includes a hook-and-loop fastener.
 15. The assemblyof claim 11, wherein the at least one securing structure includes asuction cup.
 16. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the at least onesecuring structure includes a nanosuction device.
 17. The assembly ofclaim 11, comprising a plurality of securing structures on the rearsurface of the vent register cover.
 18. The assembly of claim 17,wherein each of the plurality of securing structures corresponds with asecuring structure on the front surface of the register.
 19. A method ofinhibiting air flow through an air flow opening of a register in an HVACsystem, the method comprising: providing a register vent cover having abody portion presenting a front surface and a rear surface, the bodyportion being sized and shaped so as to correspond with and cover theair flow opening of the register; arranging at least one securingstructure on the rear surface of the register vent cover; and abuttingthe rear surface of the register vent cover with the register so as tocover the air flow opening of the register, the securing structureaffixing the register vent cover to the register.
 20. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the securing structure of the register vent cover is alayer of adhesive with a peel-off backing layer disposed over theadhesive layer, the method further comprising removing the peel-offbacking layer prior to abutting the rear surface of the register coverwith the register.